Economy Cuts Deep in Elkhart, Indiana

April 20, 2009

Some 100 miles east of Chicago, the economic black cloud over Elkhart, Indiana, has created something of an inland tsunami. The town of 50,000 is known as the RV capital of the world. According to new figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, Illinois unemployment hit a 24-year-high in March. In Elkhart, it's double what it is here. ProPublica reporter Michael Grabell profiled the town and its residents recently and explains what he learned in his reporting.

This slideshow was produced by reporter Michael Grabell, Photographer Amanda Rivkin, and Producer Krista Kjellman, of ProPublica.